


Catching Snowflakes

by Crollalanza



Series: The Captain and his Vice [10]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-05 00:18:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3097922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crollalanza/pseuds/Crollalanza
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The last time it had snowed on his birthday had been the day he turned eight. Daichi remembered the day clearly, because he’d rushed out into the garden desperate to catch snowflakes, not caring about the cold.</p><p>He's seventeen now, there's no snow but a crisp frost on the ground, and his mum is planning his party. But for Daichi, the celebration won't be complete without Suga.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catching Snowflakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Adelaida](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adelaida/gifts), [sherryandgin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sherryandgin/gifts).



> Suga's dog belongs to Jo and was immortalised by Alex. :D

_Seventeen_

The last time it had snowed on his birthday had been the day he turned eight. Daichi remembered the day clearly, because he’d rushed out into the garden desperate to catch snowflakes, only to be called back inside for breakfast and mildly scolded for forgetting his gloves and scarf.

On his seventeenth birthday, the grass outside looked white, but it was frost and not snow covering the small garden outside the kitchen window.

“Eat up, Dai-chan,” his mother said, ruffling his hair. “You can go out to play later.”

“Ha ha,” he replied, then snapped at himself because he hadn’t wanted to sound sarcastic, not today. “Uh, Mum.”

“Mmm?”

“This party we’re having tonight,” he began.

“Yes, I’ve already said you can invite a couple of friends,” she said. “And Yui-chan’s coming over, isn’t she?”

He nodded. “Yeah, probably. It’s not that. I just ... um ... do you mind if I go out after breakfast? I know you want me to help, and I’ll be around this afternoon, only –”

She raised her eyebrows. “Volleyball practise?”

“Mmhmm,” he said, hoping he sounded non-committal.

“I suppose so,” she sighed with resignation.  “Only, get back here before two because that’s when your grandma’s expected.”

“Sure.” He grinned at her, then planted a kiss on her cheek.

His mum smiled back. “Seventeen. I can’t quite believe it. It seems like only yesterday all you wanted to do was play in the snow.”

 

He spotted him by the scarf around his neck. Pale blue and wound round to double the thickness, acting as a muffler, Suga was up early as usual to take his dog for a walk. Taking a breath, letting the cold air sear his lungs, Daichi strode towards him. He didn’t want to be having this conversation, but it was necessary.

“Thought you were going away?” he called out.

“Daichi... uh ... what are you doing here?”

“Acting on a hunch,” Daichi retorted, debating whether to tell Suga he’d seen his mother in the town yesterday when she should have been halfway across the country. He slowed his pace then stood in front of his friend, arms crossed in front of his chest. “I thought you were visiting family for New Year.”

“Oh ... yeah ... uh ... that got cancelled. Uncle Sholto’s ill.”

“You said it was your Uncle Yori you were visiting.”

“Did I?  Uh ... yeah, it was, but with Uncle Sholto being ill, the rest of the family didn’t feel like celebrating and ...” He smiled tentatively. “We’re here.”

“Good. So you can come to my party, can’t you.”  It wasn’t a question.

Suga sighed and gnawed his lower lip. “I’m not ... uh ...”He stopped as a small light brown head butted his shin. “Hey boy, what’s that you’ve got?” Crouching down, Suga removed a red ball from his dog’s mouth. “Where did you find this?”

“Suga?”

“Uh, in a bit, Dai. I better find the owner of this ball.”

“It’s old and scuffed, probably been there years!”

“Oh, you never know. Dogs get attached to favourite toys. There’s probably some pooch crying her eyes out over this thing as we speak,” Suga said, and grinned.

But it wasn’t like his usual smile. The smile he gave when a play went well, or Daichi told an awful joke, or when Noya rushed in all noise and fury demanding attention. It was forced, Daichi thought.

“What’s going on, Suga?”

“I’m trying to find a dog,” Suga replied. He started to walk off, then twisting round, he looked back over his shoulder. “I’m not sure about tonight. I might have to stay at home now we’re not going away.” He smiled again, this time with a little more warmth. “S’all your fault for being born on New Year’s Eve, Daichi-san.”

Watching him trudge away, Daichi was seized by both annoyance and something like sadness. Not hesitating, he pounded after him, catching Suga in a matter of moments. “Hey, you haven’t wished me Happy Birthday yet!”

“I sent you a text. And you’ll get your present, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Suga replied, not quite meeting his eyes.

“No, not good enough,” Daichi said, and pulled on his arm. “I’ll help you find this ball, then you can buy me hot chocolate.”

For a fraction of a second, he thought Suga leant into him. There was certainly something different about his expression, sort of wistful. And then he screwed up his nose and took a good look at Daichi. “Hot chocolate it is, then, birthday boy.”

“What about the ball?”

“You’re right. It looks as if it’s been there for years.” He whistled and patted his leg. “Luna, come on. We’re going to find a cafe, get you a bowl of water.”

“Luna,” Daichi scoffed. “Ridiculous name for a dog. Especially a male dog.”

“Hey, he doesn’t know it’s a female name. And Chiharu liked it.”

“ _You_ named him after your favourite character in Harry Potter. Don’t blame your sister!”

At that, Suga laughed and suddenly things were back to normal between them, all awkwardness gone. And although he wanted to ask why Suga had lied (because he was positive there’d never been a family trip away) he didn’t want to ruin the mood. Instead he’d let Suga buy him hot chocolate, and try his best to persuade him to come tonight.

The choice of cafe was dictated by Luna. Or rather, it had to be a cafe where Suga could sit outside because he wouldn’t leave Luna tied up alone. “He pines,” he explained.

“But it’s cold,” Daichi grumbled. “And it’s my birthday.”

“It’s also Voldemort’s birthday,” Suga replied, and smirked. “I bet he hated dogs, too.”

“OI! I like your dog, just ... I’m cold!”

“Then we’ll go to a cafe where they have outdoor heaters, okay?”

“Can I have marshmallows?”

“Uh-huh, and cream and sprinkles if you want.”

Taking a seat, while Suga went inside, Daichi stared down at Luna. The dog stared back, his strange blue eyes fixing him with melancholy, then he solemnly lifted his paw placing it on Daichi’s knee. “Daft mutt,” he mumbled, but he stroked Luna’s head, massaging the spot behind his ears that he knew sent him into bliss. “What’s up with your master, Luna?  Any ideas? Is he pissed at me? Only, I thought he liked my family, especially my grandma.”

“Hey look who I found,” Suga’s voice chirped from the door. He had a grin on his face and was carrying a tray. A tray that, to Daichi’s dismay, was holding three mugs, not two.  He looked up and found himself staring at Michimiya, and she didn’t look exactly pleased to be outside, either.

“Not sure I should be talking to you,” she said, frowning.

_Ah, she’s heard then._

“What’s this?” Suga asked.

“Don’t tell me you don’t know, Suga-san. I thought Sawamura told you _everything_.”

“Not had a chance,” Daichi muttered. “Anyway, you don’t have to talk to us.”

“Hmmph!” She sat anyway and broke off part of a muffin, popping it into her mouth.

“That was for Daichi,” Suga protested.

“He doesn’t deserve it,” she said.

“Hey, she finished with me!” Daichi snapped.

“After you were clearly caught out,” Michimiya spat back. “Stupid lie as well, Sawamura-san. I mean, everyone knows you’re obsessed with volleyball, but telling her you had practise when the gyms were being refurbished...” She shook her head. “If you didn’t want to see her, you should have just told her.”

“Uh ... yeah, right.” He raised his eyebrows sceptically. “Hina nagged too much, and I had something to do.”

“Excuse me.” Suga’s voice cut through them. “Have you and Hina split up?”

“Mmm,” Daichi picked at the muffin. He flushed a little, then cleared his throat. “She was annoyed when we went to that film marathon.”

“She was annoyed because you lied. Why couldn’t you tell her you were out with Suga?”

Daichi shrugged and said no more. The truth was that while Hina hadn’t minded when he’d had practise, she _had_ begrudged him time with his friends. (‘You see them every day at practise anyway!’) More pertinently, she’d been annoyed when he’d continued his study sessions with Suga, and had been spitting feathers when she’d discovered he’d gone to the cinema instead of spending the day with her.

But Suga had been excited about the Potter marathon, and Daichi couldn’t turn him down. (He didn’t want to. They had fun together, even if Daichi wasn’t as obsessed with Potter as Suga was.)

“Are you coming tonight, Micchan?” he asked her. “Mum wanted to know.”

“Well, I’ve got you a present, so it would be shame to waste it,” Michimiya muttered, and then smiled resignedly. “Sawamura, if you’re gonna make any new year’s resolutions, could one of them be to stop dating my volleyball team?”

“Two,” he said hotly. “I dated two of them.”

“Well, stop, will you?” she replied. “Gah, it’s just disrupting, okay.”

“Don’t worry,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Your team’s safe from me. As future Captain, I’m gonna devote myself to volleyball.”

She calmed down at that, and smiled at him while she sipped at her coffee. “I’ll see you both tonight, then.”

“Uh...”Daichi shot Suga a glance. “Suga’s not given me a reply yet.”

Muffled up in his scarf, Suga’s eyes met his, and although Daichi couldn’t see his mouth, he knew he was smiling. “I’ll ... um ... be there.”

* * *

 

 

_Eighteen_

As a birthday, it couldn’t have got off to a worse start. He’d known things might be fraught, that this year wasn’t going to be like the last, that Suga staying away was for the best. But he hadn’t imagined he’d have become embroiled in a cataclysmic row before he’d even started breakfast.

He was staring out of the window, sipping tea, and pondering the clouds, wondering if it would snow again. But it had warmed a touch since the week before, and the snow was now slush, a muddy mush brown colour, and not the beautiful virgin white that had carpeted their lawn.

“Breakfast time, birthday boy!” His mum’s forced jollity dragged him back to the present. “And we’ve got a surprise for you.”

He plastered a smile on his face, turned and bowed to them. His dad was holding an envelope in his hand, and from the look of expectation in his mum’s eyes, this was obviously his present. A cheque, perhaps, or tickets for a game. Something that could fit into a card.

“Open up, son,” his dad said, his tone almost but not quite an order.

He slit the envelope open with his finger. There was something desperate  about their eagerness, and he didn’t know why but a sense of dread was beginning to descend upon him. He didn’t want the day to start badly. They’d get through it, as they had the past few weeks, by blithely ignoring the mess around them.

Something dropped out of the card and fluttered to the floor. One piece of paper, square, so it wasn’t a cheque. He bent down, picked it up from the floor and turned it over.

His parents had given him a picture. A photograph cut from a magazine.

“What’s this?” he asked, holding it up, genuinely confused.

“What does it look like, Dai-chan,” his mum said.

“Uh ... it’s a car. A red car.” He examined the picture again; the man driving the car was wearing a suit, smiling handsomely at the camera.  Then he grinned. Eighteen, of course!  “Oh ... driving lessons. Wow, thanks Mum. Thanks Dad. This is brilliant. I thought you were dead set against me learning.”

But as he leant forwards to proffer a kiss on his mum’s cheek, she raised her hand.

“Not just driving lessons, Daichi,” she murmured, her eyes sparkling. “Your father’s agreed to buy you a car. This car ... if that’s what you want.”

His eyes widened and flicked from his mum’s face to his dad’s, who was also smiling back. “That’s a-amazing,” he stammered, unable to believe what was happening. “You’ll buy me a sports car.”

“You’ll have to pass your test first,” his dad said. “You won’t be learning in anything that expensive, but once you’ve passed, and we’re satisfied you’re responsible behind the wheel, then ... yes, I will buy you a car.”

“I’m ...” He laughed. “I’m speechless. I can’t ... uh ... I can’t get my head round it. I thought ... uh ... these past few weeks, I ... thought –“

His mum smiled again, and reaching across she ruffled his hair. “The past few weeks can be forgotten, Dai-chan. We don’t have to think about them, do we?”

There was something cold in her expression, and the smile on her lips was harder than it had been. And again, he caught the desperation in her eyes. “Sorry, what do you mean?”

“You’re eighteen,” she said. “Almost a man. You’ll be at university before you can blink. So ... teenage ‘fancies’ need to be left behind. Packed away with toys.”

He stepped away, letting her hand drop away from him, and turned to face his dad. “This car,” he murmured, holding up the picture. “Is this a present? Or a bribe?”

His dad inclined his head. “It is a present. But, as I said, I need to be satisfied that you’re responsible.”

“And that means giving up Suga,” he said, softly, neutrally, trying to quell the rage burning inside because he had to be sure, had to be very sure that he wasn’t misunderstanding them.

They didn’t reply with words, but the looks his parents exchanged convinced him. He stared at the car, at the man grinning at the camera, so sure that his worth was bound up in this most expensive of toys. “No chance,” he said, screwing up the picture.

“For goodness sake!” his dad snapped. “Think about what you’re doing. You really think this ... this _boy –“_ he shuddered “- is worth all this trouble?”

“Suga. Call him by his name. Sugawara Koushi. You never objected to him before. You liked him coming round. You welcomed him, said he was like another son. You -”

“That was before all this,” his mum interrupted, her hand flailing in the air, trying to draw him back to her, but he’d stepped too far away both physically and mentally.

“That boy forced you into this,” she insisted bitterly. “You’ve had girlfriends. He –he-he took advantage and you’re too –too _good_ to see that.”

“STOP IT!” he yelled, the fury now bursting through. “Suga forced NOTHING on me. I made the first move, okay? It was me, Mum. It was me. _I_ kissed _him_. We’d lost a game and Suga was there when everyone had gone. He’s always there for me, and you –” He was shaking, and balling his hands into fists. Fists he’d never wanted to use so much before now, so he turned, turned away from her and his dad and strode from the room.

“Where are you going?”

“OUT!”

“Come back and apologise to your mother.”

But he didn’t answer. Plucking his jacket from the coat stand, he left, slamming the door behind him. It was only when he got to the end of the road, and was sure they weren’t following, that he pulled out his phone.

“Hey, Happy Birthday. Didn’t think I’d hear from you this early.”

“Uh ... yeah, hi.” He coughed, trying to clear his throat in an attempt to stop from shaking.

“What’s the matter?” Suga’s voice was sharp.

“Can you meet me? Like now.”

“On my way.”

Suga’s car wasn’t red. It wasn’t a sports car and wasn’t new. He’d learnt to drive in his mum’s car and when he’d passed his test, she’d given it to him, whilst she bought something new. A battered Yaris, with a tendency to belch out fumes, Daichi mocked Suga relentlessly for driving something so uncool, but when it appeared at the end of his road, he’d never been so pleased to see it in all his life.

“Where do you want to go?”

“Don’t mind. Just ... away from here.”

Suga eased the car forwards, flinching a little at the jerky gear change, and took the first right. “What’s happened?” he asked, his eyes on the road ahead.

“Uh ... this,” Daichi replied, and from his pocket he pulled out the screwed up photograph. “Mum and Dad’s present.”

“Wow! That’s ... um ... “

“With conditions,” Daichi added. “Namely you.”

“Oh.” He slowed the car, took another right and then parked. Taking the picture from Daichi’s fingers, he smoothed out the creases and studied intently. “It’s a cool car.”

“You’re cooler.”

“Smart paintwork.”

“You’re smarter.”

“Be good in Tokyo.”

“Hmm, won’t keep me warm at night, though, will it?”

“It’s expensive, Dai,” he said gently.”They must think a lot of you.”

He shook his head. “No, they think nothing of me if they think they can buy me off.”

“They want what they think’s best.”

“Are you _trying_ to break up with me, Suga?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I could really do that,” he murmured, and clutched Daichi’s hand. “Just ... think about it, Daichi. If they’re doing this, then it’s pretty clear they’re not going to come around.”

“I know.”He swallowed. “Can I stay at yours tonight? Will your parents mind? I’ll kip on the sofa, if that’s what they want.”

Suga smiled. He started up the car again, his gear change much smoother now. “They’re away,” he said, and smiled. “This time they really have gone to visit Uncle Sholto. So the sofa won’t be necessary.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Nineteen_

His grandma greeted him with a smile. It was the smile he liked to think she reserved only for him, indulgent, loving, and genuine. But he knew she probably used it on all her grandchildren. He wasn’t the eldest grandchild, or the youngest, but the second oldest of her four grandsons. Not special, but all the same special to her.  He had very little in common with his cousins, just a name and familial obligations. His two younger cousins were watching a film and munching their way through bright coloured sweets when they thought their mum wasn’t watching. His older cousin was out in the garden, helping set up the fireworks for later that night. His birthday and New Year’s Eve, caught up in one glorious family celebration.

“Dai-chan, I need some air,” she rasped. “Will you take me into town?”

“Of course.” He bowed to her, happy to oblige because the film was grating and his mum’s perpetual interrogation (‘Where are you going? Who are you talking to? Are you meeting anyone?  Who was that text from?’) was getting on his nerves.

“I’m taking Grandma out for a walk,” he called out, just before they left.

His mum appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, an objection on her lips, but when she saw he was actually helping his grandma into her wheelchair, she simply nodded. “Don’t leave her side, okay?” she warned. “The pavements are icy. And really, it’s too cold. She’d be much better inside by the fire.”

“I may be old and in a chair, but I’m not deaf! Dai-chan, hand me a scarf and gloves.”

He grinned at her then after wrapping a red scarf around her neck, he added a woolly hat, complete with bobble, and pulled it over her ash-white hair. “Ready?”he asked.

She grinned back at him. “As snug as a bug in a rug.”

It had snowed the night before. Finally, eleven years later, he had a fresh fall of snow on his birthday. He’d felt again a ridiculous urge to run outside and catch snowflakes, but his younger cousins had already churned up the garden and built a snowman, so he’d contented himself with watching their fun.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

“Don’t mind,” she said. “Just wanted to be out of the house. Your mother’s a good woman, but she clucks too much.”

“Let me know if you get cold, and we’ll stop off and have a drink,” he said, and smiled remembering the hot chocolate of two years before.

(‘Why did you lie about going away?’ he’d asked Suga the following Summer.

‘Didn’t want to see you with that girl ... uh ... Hina, wasn’t it?’ Suga had replied, propping himself on one elbow as he fed Daichi a strawberry.

‘I hadn’t even invited her.’

‘You were going out with her and didn’t want her at your birthday party. Daichi, you’re a disgraceful boyfriend!’

‘She’d have moaned about you being there, so ...’ Daichi had shrugged, and swallowed the strawberry. ‘Should have realised then that you were the one,’ he’d murmured, leaning forwards for a kiss.)

 

“Why are none of your friends coming this year?” she asked as he wheeled her through the main street. “Have you fallen out with them now you’re a university man?”

“Michimiya might drop in, but she has another party,” he replied. “Asahi’s visiting family. And it’s his birthday tomorrow, so he doesn’t always make it.”

“What about Koushi?” she asked, and twisted around scowling at him. “Don’t tell me you’ve fallen out with him. I like that boy.”

“’Course not. He stayed in Tokyo, Grandma. We share a flat with two other guys.”

“Tokyo, huh?”

“Yeah. The fireworks won’t be as impressive as Dad’s, I’m sure,” he joked. But he was feeling anything but light.

(‘It’s your family, Dai, of course I understand.’

‘If Grandma wasn’t going to be there, then I’d stay here with you, Sug. You do know that, don’t you?’

Suga had nodded, his lip trembling a little, and then he’d sniffed and tried a smile. ‘Do you want your present before you go?’

He’s shaken his head. ‘Save it for when I get back. We’ll have our own celebration.’)

“Then why’s he walking some damn fool dog down a street in Miyagi!” she declared.

“Huh!”

She pointed across the road, then waved. “Look, that’s your friend, isn’t it? Koushi-chan, over here!”

Unable to stop the smile now spreading over his face, Daichi laughed as Suga bounded across the road, dragging a reluctant Luna (who’d been happily inspecting an empty takeaway box) with him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, dumbfounded.

“Gah, the heating’s broken again,” he explained, “and the landlady can’t do anything until after New Year, so I thought I’d come home.”

“Without telling me?”

“I’d have called tomorrow,” Suga replied non-commitally. He bowed to Daichi’s grandma. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever, Obaasan.”

“And you’re still a flatterer, I see, Koushi-chan,” she said shrewdly.

“It’s genuine, Grandma,” Daichi said, grinning. “Everyone else gets a slap if they call him Koushi, so he must like you.”

Holding out her hand, she patted Luna’s head, smirking when he placed his chin on her lap. “Then as Koushi’s here, I like him, and he doesn’t cluck or fuss, _he_ can come to your party, Dai-chan.”

“Uh ...” Suga glanced at Daichi. “Probably not a good idea.”

“Nonsense. And bring the dog. I’m sure the young one’s will look after him. Might stop them playing on those wretched iPod things.”

“Fireworks, Grandma. Luna won’t like them.”

“Are you scared of fireworks, too, Koushi? Is that why you won’t come to Daichi’s party?”

“No, it’s not that, but this is a family party, and, it’s probably best if we ... uh ... if I ... um ... leave you-”

The sight of Suga flushed and shuffling his feet decided him. And it was his birthday, not just New Year, and he’d always been allowed to invite the people important to him. “Come to the party. I’d like you there.”

“Oh-kay...” Suga stared at him. “You sure about this,” he murmured.

“’Course he’s sure!” his grandma replied. She gave Luna a last pat, and then brushed him away. “It starts at seven. Fireworks at midnight, so you could settle the dog inside with me, if you want.” Then without giving Suga any time to object, she turned back to Daichi.  “I’m getting cold now. I’d like to head back.”

 

His mum received the news better than he’d expected. She eyed him coldly, no doubt convinced that he’d orchestrated the whole thing, but there was nothing she could do under the glare from her mother-in-law. His dad scowled, clearly not happy, but unwilling to rock the boat in front of his family. But later, just before seven, he pulled Daichi to one side.

“ _If_ he turns up, you will introduce him as your friend, and that is all,” he murmured.

“He is my friend, Dad. Suga’s always been my friend.”

“Don’t get smart with me!”

“I’m not. I have no intention of doing anything that will upset things. But ...” He paused, and focused his attention on his cousins and uncles, now running around in the garden.  The months away at university had given him a new perspective and a new way to deal with their prejudice. “If you’re rude to Suga, then I’ll tell everyone here exactly what he is to me, and then I’ll walk.”

“You’re not an adult!” his dad scoffed. “And you rely on us for tuition fees.”

Daichi blinked, but he’d always known that hold was still over him. It was just a matter of whether they truly would cut all ties if he didn’t toe the line. If disowning their son would lead to public knowledge of his ‘disgrace’.  However, playing cards with Kuroo had given him a decent enough poker face. “Then I’ll get a job,” he murmured.  “Drop out of university. Play volleyball full time!”

“You wouldn’t last a week.”

“You could well be right, but ... at least it would be my decision, and not one bought for me in the form of a car.”

 

Suga arrived a short while after eight (just when Daichi’s dad was making snide comments about him not turning up) a bunch of flowers in his hand for Daichi’s mother, and a small bottle of sake for his grandmother. She grinned and tilted her face up for a kiss, patting the space next to her on the sofa.

“Where’s that soppy dog?”

“Ah, I left him at home sleeping in his basket. He’s an old lazy bones and not used to me being back and taking him for regular walks.”

“Tch, I was looking forward to the company. You’ll have to talk to me instead, Koushi. Tell me what you and my grandson get up to in Tokyo.”

“Uh ...” Suga glanced around the room, and following his gaze, Daichi saw he’d locked looks –albeit fleetingly – with his dad. “We study very hard, and play volleyball. Well, Daichi plays more than me. I’m more ... um ... B team, I guess.”

“He’s putting himself down, Grandma. Suga’s very good.”

“Studying? Volleyball?” She chuckled, and nudged Suga in the ribs. “Don’t you have any fun? I’m sure a good-looking boy like you must have the girl’s flocking to him.”

The usual assumption and Suga’s usual response was the same as Daichi’s – to shrug and murmur something self-deprecating. And from the way Suga was posing his face, a bland smile and small shake of the head, Daichi knew he was about to trot out a neutral reply.

“Dai-chan’s girlfriend can’t make it tonight!” his mum blurted out.

“Huh?”

“Such a shame,” she babbled, her hands flapping at the air. “She called earlier. Sorry, darling, I forgot to tell you.”

“Mum, what are you-“

“Yui-chan can’t make it. She’s ill.”

“Who?”

“Michimiya Yui, Daichi’s girlfriend,” his mum continued. “They’ve been seeing each other for ... um ...”

“The girl who’s going somewhere else tonight,” his grandma said slowly, and turned to Daichi. “Not a good catch if she’s leaving you on your birthday to celebrate elsewhere. Tch, and telling your mother that she’s ill. Such a silly lie ...”

“She’s not my-” Daichi started to say.

But then his grandma winked at him, and beckoned him to her, whispering, “Not your girlfriend. Yes, I can tell. Your eyes have always been focused on someone else, Dai-chan, haven’t  they?”

“Uh... yeah, they have.” His throat felt dry, constricted. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Suga shifting a little uncomfortably on the sofa. He heard his mum squawking something, mentioning Michimiya again, declaring that perhaps she’d got it wrong, that she wasn’t ill at all. And his dad had stepped forwards, a hand outstretched, ready to wrench Daichi back, scared of what might be revealed.

“I’d like to see the get some fresh air. It’s stuffy in here.”

“I could open a window,” one of the aunts called.

“No, Dai-chan can take me into the garden.” Her gnarled hand reached across to Suga, and she patted him on the arm. “I’d like a drink of that delicious sake you gave me. Would you care to join me?”

“I’m not of age, Obaasan,” Suga murmured.

“Hmm, one glass won’t matter. Bring three glasses, Dai-chan.”

Refusing the wheelchair, they helped her down the steps into the garden, each supporting one arm.  His grandma was frail on her feet, especially in the snow, but she settled herself on one of the benches, and doled out the sake into two glasses, waiting for Daichi to pour hers.

“Not too much for the pair of you,” she murmured, handing them both two short measures. “I’m sure it’s not your first taste of alcohol, is it?”

“Not exactly, Grandma,” Daichi said with a grin, and sat next to her. “So what are we drinking to?”

She sighed, her eyes focused at some spot in the distance, and when she finally spoke,  it was not to answer his question. “Your grandfather liked sake, did you know that?”

“Uh ... I don’t ... um ... Sorry, I don’t remember him very well,” he replied, puzzled because she rarely mentioned his grandfather. He’d been a distant man, not unkind, but quiet. Daichi’s main memory of him was someone who’d hidden in books, only peeking out from behind pages for the obligatory goodnight kiss. He’d read him bedtime stories sometimes, occasionally embroiling the tales with different voices to make Daichi laugh, so maybe if he’d lived they’d have found other connections.

 “Ah, yes, you were only five when he died. He was a good man,” she replied, and turned her face towards Suga, patting his knee. “A very good man. I was, in some respects, lucky to have him.”

“He was lucky to have you, I’m sure,” he replied, his eyes solemn and respectful.

“Hmm, maybe. He wasn’t happy, though. But he ...” She sighed again, tears glimmering on her lower lashes. “He cared enough to provide for us -” Shaking her head, she gulped at the sake. “I didn’t realise for years.”

“Grandma ... uh ... what didn’t you realise?”

“He did love me, in his way, but...” She sniffed a little, then faced him, a frozen smile on her lips. “I was _not_ his type, isn’t that what they say? The trouble was, he couldn’t be with his type. But he was an honourable man, who had made a commitment to me when we were both too young to know better, and then to our children.” She raised her glass. “Daisuke-san, _kanpai_.”

“ _Kanpai_ ,” they both intoned. Daichi sipped at his, but Suga downed the shot.

“You are happy, aren’t you? The pair of you, I mean?” she asked.

“Yes,” Daichi murmured, and glanced across at Suga.

“Very,” Suga said simply.

“Good. Because your grandfather was unhappy for much of his life, and it was no way to live.” Pressing down on Daichi’s arm, she struggled to her feet, waiting only for them both to rise. “It’s going to snow again, so will you take me back inside? I’ll leave the sake here, it will keep you warm, but don’t drink it all.”

After settling her back in the house, and ignoring his mum’s demand that they both come back in the house, Daichi returned to the garden, joining Suga on the bench. They sat side-by-side, gloved hands just touching, saying nothing.

It was Suga who broke the silence, his fingers furling around Daichi’s, just as the first new flakes of snow began to fall. “I left your present in Tokyo. Sorry.”

The right corner of Daichi’s mouth curved into a lopsided smile. He stretched out his hand, the hand not now being warmed by Suga, and let a snowflake land on his gloved palm. “I have everything I want right here.”

 


End file.
